A Dominican fugitive, Francis Mouland, alias “Miller”, listed by United States Customs as one of their 10 most wanted men and who is believed to have fled to Jamaica in October 1996, was yesterday captured in St Catherine by the Fugitive Apprehension Team (FAT) during a pre-dawn operation at 31 Cave Hill Estate, Hellshire.

Police said Mouland was indicted in the state of Georgia, USA in 1999 on two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiracy to import cocaine and cocaine-based substances and one count of conspiracy to launder drug proceeds. He is also wanted in the US Virgin Islands on a charge of shooting with intent at the police.

Police said according to the indictment, Mouland is a member of the “Island Boy” gang, which is accused of trafficking illegal drugs between Colombia and the USA.

The indictment alleged that in June 1996 the gang was enroute from Colombia to the US, carrying 1,252 kilogrammes of cocaine and was intercepted in Tortilla by US Virgin Island police. During a shoot-out one policeman was shot and seriously injured and the gang members escaped.

In October 1996, US Customs, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Tortilla police, recovered 6,000 kg of cocaine from the gang in Tortilla, and held some of the gang members but Mouland escaped and allegedly fled to Jamaica where he has been hiding since.

About 2:30 yesterday morning, FAT agents, assisted by narcotics police and the Special Anti-Crime Task Force, raided a house at Cave Hill Estate, Hellshire where Mouland was seen. Police said they searched the house and found a Jamaican driver’s licence and a St Kitts passport with Mouland’s picture attached to both documents. The driver’s licence has the name Cyril Smith with date of birth 10/6/69, while the passport bears the name Cyril Nigel Tyson with date of birth showing 18/4/62.